The region wants to spend up to $100,000 over the next year to continue the Coalition of Muslim Women of KW's "Hate or Discrimination Reporting and Support Program."
A recommendation to fund the program is one of six coming to regional council next week that call for collaboration "to develop a Region-wide and coordinated approach to counter Islamophobia."
The coalition’s program was started last year through a federal funding grant that’s coming to an end March 31.
Since April 2021, reportinghate.ca has processed 87 formal reports, including 82 related to hate and five related to discrimination.
The hate crime reporting system was the first of its kind in the region when it was introduced last spring and is designed to fill a gap in reporting non-criminal incidents of hate.
It also offers support to victims and demonstrates the prevalence of racism in the community to help inform ways to prevent it.
In February, the coalition's executive director, Fauzia Mazhar, told regional councillors she didn't think recommendations presented in an earlier report went far enough and said measures to end Islamophobia locally should be amended to better reflect the input of the Muslim community.
Now regional staff is ready to ask council to support all six recommendations, which in addition to funding the reportinghate.ca website, include plans to recognize January 29, the National Day of Remembrance of the Quebec City Mosque Attack and Action Against Islamophobia.
The region has already recognized the annual day of commemoration of the victims of the Quebec Mosque shooting, and says it will continue to participate in the Green Square Campaign.
The region has also initiated plans to implement anti-Islamophobia training for regional staff and will consider amendments to its Code of Conduct By-Law to address harassment based on race, religion, gender identity or sexual orientation and other protected grounds under the Ontario Human Rights Code that occur within regionally owned public spaces.
The region hopes to include area municipalities in considering similar opportunities for local by-law review and coordinated enforcement.
Staff is asking council to approve 12 months of funding for the coalition's hate and discrimination reporting program, which it says can be supported by the Equity Investment Fund.
The region says it will investigate longer term investment for programs that align with the region's Community Safety and Wellbeing Framework.
